Automatic weighing-machine.



PATENTED JULY 7, 1903.

No. 733,096. v

w. 1). TYLER.

AUTOMATIC WEIGHING MACHINE.

APPLICATION TILED OUT. 4, 1902.

H0 MODEL.

INVENTOR WITNESSES:

7a, 46AM UNITED STATES Patented July 7, 1903. I

PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM D. TYLER, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

AUTOMATIC WEIGHING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 733,09 6, dated July'7, 1903.

I Application filedOctober 4,1902. Serial No.125,936. (No model.)

To all w/wm it may concern;

Be it known that I, WVILLIAM D. TYLER, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, and aresident of the borough of Brooklyn, county of Kings, cityand State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Automatic Weighing-Machines, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to mechanism for automatically feeding, weighing,and delivering granular or other finely-divided material in uniformquantities, the same being specially designed for use in connection withapparatus by which the material to be weighed is first measured out incharges of somewhat less than the desired weight. A preferred form ofsuch measuring apparatus is described and claimed in my pendingapplication filed October 5, 1901, and serially num bered 77,685.

Mechanism embodying my present invention is illustrated in theaccompanying drawing by a view in sectional elevation.

Referring to the drawing, 1. represents a fixed upright shaft orstandard which may be bracketed to a wall or otherwise mounted andserves'as a support for measuring apparatus 2, the construetionandoperation of which are fully described in my pending application abovereferred to. \Vhile any suitable apparatus may be employed for thispurpose, I prefer the form shown, which consists, essentially, oftelescoping receptacles 3 '3, mounted on rotatable tables to travelbetween a hopper .L and the discharge-spout 5, such receptacles inpassing under the hopper receiving a charge of material a little shortof the desired weight, which material is subsequently discharged throughthe spout as each receptacle passes above the open end of the same. Asuitable adjusting device, such as the screw shafts (3 6 and theconnectingsprocket, may be employed to Vary the size of the telescopingreceptacles 3 3 as may be required. Fitted in an opening of thestationary platform of the measuring apparatus and depending therefromthere is a tube 7, which is so placed as to receive a small quantity ofmaterial from each of the rotating receptacles as they pass over theupper end of the same. This material is discharged into the fixed hopper8 of the weighing mechan-.

ism for a purpose to be later on described.

At a point beneath the measuring apparatus and on the same shaft thereis mounted a rotating table 9, which is driven by the sprocket-gear andchain 10 from the power shaft 11. This table serves as a rotatingsupport for a number of cans 12 12, &c., and is cut away at equispacedpoints throughout its circumference to provide recesses to receive thesame. The cans are open at the top and have their opposite sides taperedto reduce the bottom opening, which is normally closed by a swingingbottom 13, pivoted thereto. Each can is carried in the bifurcated end ofa scale-beam 14, the counterweight 15 of which depends therefrom throughan opening in the table. Thus mounted the cans travel in a circular pathas the table rotates and successively pass beneath the open end of thespout 5 to receive a charge of material therefrom.

As the material contained in each can is somewhat less than the desiredweight, Iprovide a graduated feed for supplying the deficiency. Thisfeed comprises anon-rotatable hopper or annular receptacle 8, which issupplied through the tube 7, above referred to, and a series offeed-screws 16 16, &c., extending radially outward therefrom andcorresponding in number to the cans 12. Each feed-screw is mounted in atubular casing 17, which is cut away on the under side near its outerend to provide a discharge-opening 18. A lip or flange 19 on each of thecans forms a flaring mouth, which extends beneath thesedischarge-openings and catches the material fed through the same. Thefeed-screws are rotated by rack-bars 20, secured to the cans, meshingwith pinions 21 upon the outer end of the screw-shafts. In order toprevent the material in the annular chamber from banking or becomingsolidly packed, one or more stirrer-arms 22' are provided therein anddriven by the chain and sprocket-gearing 23 from the power-shaft 11. Afunnel 24: is adjustably secured upon the shaft 1 by abracket 25 in thepath of travel of the cans 12, but at a point beneath the same.Normallythat is, when the cans are empty or do not contain the fullweight of material-they are maintained elevated by the scale-beams withtheir rack-bars in position to engage the pinions upon rotation of thetable. As the rack-bars in travel mesh with the pinion, the latter 1'0-tate the feed-screws and cause a certain amount of material to be fedinto the cans. Then the full weight of material is made up by means ofthis graduated feed, it tips the scale-beam, and the can is therebylowered sufficiently to carry its rack-bar below and clear of thepinions, and consequently there will be no further feed into a can thusadj usted. This discharge of the material from a can is effected by thetrip-pin 26 on the funnel 24E engaging the projection 27 on the swingingbottom of each can as the latter in rotation passes above the funnel.

In order to overcome centrifugal force which would tend to swing thecans outward as the table rotates, and thereby interfere somewhat withthe action of the weighing mechanism, the lower or free end of each canis connected to the hub of the table by a pivotally-secured link 28.

If for any reason more or less than the intended weight of materialshould be fed into a can as it passes the last feeding device of theseries, it is desirable that the attendant should be notified, and toeffect this I provide an audible signal, consisting of a yoked arm 20,pivotally mounted upon a non-rotatable support, such as a bracket-arm,adjustably secured to the shaft. The arm is so arranged that its yokedend straddles the end of each scale-beam just before the can is ready todumpthat is to say, before it reaches a point in its travel above thehopper 24and the opposite end of the arm is provided with a strikerlying between two gongs 3O 30. By this arrangement it will be seen thatif the weight of material in a can is more or less than the machine isset to weigh the scalebeams in passing through the yoked .end of thesignal-arm will engage therewith and cause the same to strike the gongand notify the attendant. For the purpose of illustrating the entiremachine assembled I have shown the spout 5 located directly above thefunnel 24:; but it will be understood that in practice these parts willbe so relatively arranged that a shortweight charge will be dumped intoeach can after it has discharged its full-weight charge into the funneland passed over the same.

The operation is as follows: The members of the telescoping receptaclesof the measuring apparatus are first adjusted by turning the crank 6either to the right or left and thereby rotating the several screwshafts through the connecting sprocket-gearing to lengthen or shortenthe receptacles, as may be required. Assuming that a certain amount ofmaterial has been placed in the hopper 8 of the weighing mechanism, themachine is ready for starting. The rotating tables 3 3,

carrying the receptacles of the measuring apparatus, may be driven fromthe shaft 11 by the gears 3 3 shown or in any other suitable manner. Thereceptacles in passing beneath the hopper 4 are each filled withmaterial, which is carried around under the continued rotation of thetables and discharged through the spout 5 into the cans of the weighingmechanism. The relative arrangement and speed of the cans 12 12 are suchthat as a charge of material enters the spout a can passes under thelower end thereof to receive the same. After receiving the material inthe manner described each can under the rotation of the table is carriedaround and its rack-bar successively engages the pinions of the severalfeed-screws, causing a regulated amount of material to be fed from eachtube into the open mouth of the can as it passes under the same. Thisoperation continues until the full weight of material has been supplied,and thereupon the scale-beam is tipped and the can descends, carryingits rack below and clear of the pinion and continuing in this positionuntil the charge is dumped into the funnel by the pin 26 tripping theswinging bottom of the can. Ordinarily an attendant places a bag orother form of package beneath the funnel 24 to receive each charge as itis delivered.

Some of the main advantages of my invention are as follows: The machineis entirely automatic in its action and requires only one attendant toplace bags, boxes,wrappers, or the like in position to receive thefull-weight charges delivered, and as this may be readily done by a boyor girl the cost of operating the machine is reduced to a minimum. Asboth the measuring and weighing mechanisms employ continuously-rotatingcarriers, the machine may be run at quite a high speed and with alargely-increased output, its capacity being limited only by the rate atwhich the bags or the like are placed in position to receive thecharges.

All complication is avoided and the construction, adjustment of parts,&c., are eX- tremely simple and may be readily understood by unskilledpersons. The action of the receptacles in operating the feedindividually and discontinuing the same after the charge has beenbrought up to full weight prevents waste and insures accuracy anduniformity in the weight of the charges delivered.

It will be understood that I do not wish to limit myself to the exactdetails of construction herein shown and described, as various changesmay be made without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.For example, other forms of feed mechanism might be substituted for thatshown and each receptacle provided with means for controlling the samein substantially the manner described. Other forms of receptacle mightbe employed and the same differently mounted relatively to both thescales and the rotating table. The short-weight charges might bedelivered by other forms of measuring appara tus, &c., but all suchchanges I consider obvi ICS ous and immaterial variations of form andnot of substance and still within the meaning of the present invention.

Having, therefore, described my invention, I claim 1. The combination ofa series of continuously-traveling receptacles adapted to receive inbulk short-weight charges of material to be weighed, stationarysupplemental feed mechanism operated intermittently or while thereceptacle is passing beneath the same to gradually increase thecontained charge to full weight and means for automaticallydiscontinuing the feed in the particular receptacle or receptaclescontaining such full-weight charge.

2. The combination of a series of receptacles mounted upon acontinuously-rotating support and adapted to receive in bulk shortweightcharges of material to be weighed, intermittent feed mechanism forgradually increasing the charge in each receptacle to full weight andmeans for automatically discontinuing the feed in the particularreceptacle or receptacles containing such full-weight charge.

3. The combination of a series of receptacles each mounted as ascale-pan upon a continuously-rotating support and adapted to receive inbulk short-weight charges of material to be weighed, said support beingcommon to the several receptacles, intermittent feed mechanism forgradually increasing the charge in each receptacle to full weight andmeans for automatically discontinuing the feed in the particularreceptacle or receptacles containing such full-weight charge.

4. The combination of a series of receptacles adapted to receive in bulkshort-weight charges of material to be weighed, each of said receptaclesbeing carried by a scale-beam mounted upon a continuously-rotatingsupport, intermittent feed mechanisms, an actuating device on eachreceptacle for successively operating the feed mechanisms to graduallyincrease the contained charge to full weight and thereby tip thescale-beam, the arrangement being such that the tipping of the scaledisengages the feed actuating device of the particular receptacle orreceptacles containin g such full-weight charge.

5. The combination of a continuously-rotating support, a series ofweighing-scales mounted thereon,a receptacle carried by each scale-beam,and adapted to receive in bulk short weight charges of material to beweighed, said receptacles being open at the top and provided with aswinging bottom, a series of stationary feed mechanisms corresponding innumber to the receptacles and arranged above the same, an actuatingdevice carried by each receptacle for successively operating the feedmechanisms on passing under the same to gradually increase the charge tofull weight and thereby tip the scale and disengage the feed-actuatingdevice of the receptacle or receptacles containing such fullweightcharge and means for automatically dumping the full-weight charges.

6. The combination of a continuouslyrotating table, a series of weighingscales mounted thereon and provided with an olfweight signal, areceptacle carried by each scale-beam and adapted to receive in bulkshort weight charges of material to be weighed, said receptacles beingopen at the top and provided with a swinging bottom, a stationary hopperarranged centrally of the table and provided with a series offeed-screws projecting radially therefrom above the receptacles, each ofsaid screws having a pinion secured upon its outer end, rack-bars uponthe receptacles adapted to mesh with the pinions and rotate thefeed-screws as the receptacles pass under the same, thereby graduallyincreasing the charge to full weight and causing the receptaclescontaining such fullweight charges to descend as the scale-beam tips,and carry their rack-bars below the plane of the pinions, and means forautomatically dumping the full-weight charges.

'7. The combination of a series of continu ously-traveling receptacles,measuring apparatus for delivering in bulk short -Weight charges ofmaterial to the receptacles, stationary feed mechanisms operated successively by the receptacles in passing beneath the same to graduallyincrease the charges to full weight and a supply connection between themeasuring apparatus and the feed mechanism.

8. The combination of a continuously-rotating weighing mechanism, acontinuouslyrotating measuring apparatus for delivering in bulkshort-weight charges of material to the weighing mechanism, supplementalfeed mechanism operating intermittently or when the receptacle ispassing beneath the same to gradually increase the charges to fullweight, and a supply connection between the measuring apparatus and thefeed mechanism.

Signed at New York this 27th day of Sep-;

tember, 1902.

WILLIAM D. TYLER.

WVitnesses:

V. H. PUMPHREY, M. G. CRAWFORD.

IIO

